Butterfly: A Symbol Of Transformation

Symbols Of A Past Era

There is a Native American symbolic legend of that goes, ” If you have a secret wish, capture a butterfly and whisper your wish. Your secret is ever safe in their keeping. Release the butterfly, and it will carry your wish to the Great Spirit, who alone knows the thoughts of butterflies. By setting the butterfly free, you are helping to restore the balance of nature, and your wish will surely be granted.”

Butterflies are a symbol of change, joy, and the changing colors of life. Their fluttering dance is a reminder not to take life so seriously. They have a sense of lightness, joy and freedom.They are reminders to get up and move, for if you can move you can dance, and dance brings joy, which is the freedom of life.

The butterfly is a powerful symbol for transformation. It leaves the safety of the cocoon in it’s new form. An excellent analogy for anyone starting afresh in life as new choices create a new beginning. When in the midst of change or chaos, remembering the freedom of a butterfly can help you find clarity.

A butterfly is a strong symbol of metamorphosis, with distinct stages. It can remind you to make changes when the opportunity arises. Change and transformation are inevitable for us all. As change is a very natural part of life, it doesn’t need to be traumatic.

Spirits And Souls

Butterfly symbolism is also closely tied to the idea of spirits and souls. It has been used in many religions and cultures throughout the centuries of Western Europe. Psyche is the Greek word for both soul and butterfly. There was a belief that butterflies were human souls searching for a new incarnation, which gave the creature uncanny and sometimes ominous connotations. This symbolism was also used in early Christianity as a symbol of the soul. Celts thought that women became pregnant by swallowing butterfly souls. These butterfly-souls flew about seeking a new mother.

Other cultures believed that spirits of the dead took the form of white butterflies. In northern Europe to see one flying at night was a warning of death, and some believed in the past that the soul-butterfly’s ability to leave the body in sleep, accounts for your dreams.

Today’s Symbols

These may have been past cultures and religions, but even today there is mystery and modern symbolism attached to butterflies. I know many who attribute butterflies on their shoulder or flitting around them as a sign their passed loved one is making a connection. It is a much more gentle form of an older symbolism.

The most significant for us, of all the transformational signs, is the ability of the butterfly to live totally in the present. Imagine the freedom of a life without regrets, sadness, hostility, revenge, remembering past grievances or holding on to past hurts. Living in the present in harmony with your surroundings and the complete joy of freedom.